Spelling Words

Spelling words have been added to the right hand column of the blog.  Weekly spelling tests will accompany our classroom readings.  If a student gets one hundred percent on the weekly pretest, he/she will get a second "challenge" list to study during the week.  Occasional homework assignments may be assigned to help spelling word practice at home.  Challenge lists should be used for homework, if applicable.  

Fourth grade is a learning process for everyone, including me.  If you are unsure about a classroom procedure or having difficulty with communication from your child, please first check their student planner and then contact me.  Student responsibility is of the utmost importance in any child's learning experience.  I expect each child to take responsibility for their classwork and homework.  If an unusual circumstance is effecting your child's ability to complete any assignment, please  be sure to let me know.  Much more information is available at the Fourth Grade Curriculum night this Thursday, September 2 at 6:00pm in our classroom.  I hope to see you all there!

Welcome to a New School Year!

Fourth grade learning is officially underway with Mr. Reynolds!  It's very exciting to see so many familiar faces but equally exciting is the opportunity to meet new students.  I am anxious to get going with everything in the new school year and I will start with some new links.  

The OP97 main district website is going through a bit of a makeover.   With that, many other district pages are being required to get a new appearance for the purpose of a simpler user interface.  The new OP97 Library Homepage has an excellent collection of links and access to databases, including a catalog of Mann School's library.  There are links to many fourth grade home/school connections like Custom Typing and valuable resource sites.  I will also add links like these to my blog.

Mann School is piloting SMART's interactive whiteboards (commonly called a SMART Board) and our classroom is lucky enough to get one.  This great learning tool will be used to enhance a variety of curriculum lessons and assist in other student projects.  I am still learning the wires, so to speak, with this technology but am eager to adapt my instruction accordingly.  If your child is in my classroom, ask them about the starter activity we did today.  (Click here to see the result of our morning activity.) All parents will have an up-close look at the board during curriculum night.  Just another reason to be sure you are in attendance on Thursday, September 2 at 6:00pm!

Transition Time

Hello Readers!  It has been over a month since my last post and that's because I've had quite a lot going on.  As many of you know, I left the country for a month to study in Rome and explore other parts of Italy and Europe.  (I am currently sorting through literally thousands of pictures to find the best ones to share.) I returned just over a week ago and am getting my American footing back under me in preparation for the upcoming school year.  For me, summer is a great time to spend with family, explore new and old interests, and enjoy taking a break from the demanding formal academic world.  But for those of you that really know me, learning never stops and there is always something new to discover!  


Just around the corner is a new school year and my role is changing.  I will be teaching fourth grade and accepting a more formal responsibility as a technology leader in our school building.  Having said that, my blog will be shifting its focus a little bit from the first grade experience to a more general learning experience, with fourth grade focus.  Knowing there is a wide variety of viewers scouring this page encourages me to keep many of the good things about it while adding new features.  Some of what you find may be helpful for you and some may not.  But if I take something away that you like or use, please e-mail me (creynolds@op97.org) and let me know.  


Keep your eyes peeled for changes in the blog appearance and be sure to refresh your mind for a new school year with some of the academic links!